Ghana Guides Me: Meet FC Harlem Player, Kairaba

This month, TONL partnered with Nike to profile various coaches and young women in soccer as they demonstrate why diverse representation matters in sport, coaching, and the athlete/coach relationship. Throughout this week, hear from the FC Harlem Lions, a specialized program for talented and committed youth of color ages 10- 19 who often do not get opportunities to pursue soccer development at the highest levels. The number 1 goal of FC Harlem is to help the youth meet their academic and professional goals. The women on this team are "Leaders n Our Neighborhoods" (L.I.O.N.S) so be sure to read the stories of these leading ladies.

Meet Kairaba!

TONL: What made you want to play?

Kairaba: Well, my brother (my older brother) plays so like a lot of the times during the summer we would go out to the park and we would play. I would be in the goal a lot of the times, so when people would score on me and I would block their shot, it's like surprising to them or even like laughable to them. That's what inspired me.

Were they laughing at you because you were a girl?

Yes, exactly. I remember there was this one time when I blocked a shot from my brother and his friends were talking all sorts of crap to him, talking about, “Oh you let your sister block your shot?!” So it was like a really big deal. It didn’t really have an effect on anyone else but, it's like I'm a girl and especially since I'm like younger than them they were like, “Why are you letting HER block your shot?”

How old is your brother?

My brother is almost 30.

Oh wow, so he is my age. I am 29. I gotta laugh at him a little bit. But, it just shows that you’re actually a great player.

I strive to be better; you know?

How has your culture, ethnicity or gender played in the way you see the sport?

Well, it’s popular from where I'm from. I'm from Ghana.

You’re from Ghana?! Oh word?!

Yes, I am! I probably don’t look like it!

I was speaking [to the other players] in Twi.

Oh, well I don’t speak Twi. I speak Hausa.

Also, I get a lot of criticism about what I wear while I play the sport. Because I don’t dress as modestly as I should or as other girls do on the team. I mean, I don’t really care, but it gets annoying.

And that's because of your faith because you’re Muslim?

Mmmhm, yes I am.

Okay. So you still want to represent your faith while you're playing. How important is that for you?

Very important. Like, for example if someone was to come criticize my faith, I'm passionate about it - like passionate enough to get into an argument about it. You know, stick up for it. I also feel like the way I dress does not really determine how religious I am or how invested in my faith I am and people don’t understand that so...

That's true. That's true!

The next question…. I like that a lot. I didn’t know you were Ghanaian, my Ghanaian sister. We reppin’! Where’s your family from?

I mean they’re from Accra. Have you been to Ghana?

NO, I haven’t, but…

I was just there three weeks ago. I'll show you. Really? I might go this summer. That’s a big maybe.

No Ghana’s beautiful. It’s amazing. Amazing place and I was like your age and I wasn't going a lot and 3 years ago I started going by myself and everything is there.

People try to come for me talking bout “you’ve never been” and that means that like I am not a real Ghanaian.

Oh no, I was born and raised here like you in the Bronx like the same way and people tried to give me that. Even when I am back in Ghana speaking Twi, but you speak Hausa so you will be fine.

Exactly, when I'm outside of my house, I'm in America when I'm inside of my house, I'm in Ghana, you know. Raised by Ghanaians, Ghanaian food, Ghanaian clothes.

Very. I’m the same way so that's so cool that we have that in common. So what are common misconceptions that people have about female players that you would like to dispel?

Like, “you kick like a girl” or “you run like a girl.” I don't understand why you have to do something like a girl. It's the same sport. You know? Honestly, there's an unnecessary barrier between boy’s sports and girl’s sports….and I also feel like, girl’s sports are less represented, especially in my school, in my family, you know. So, I'd like for that to change.

That’s amazing and that actually goes into the next question: who was your sports role model growing up?

I never really used to watch soccer and I still don’t. It’s just really my brother. I would always just watch a whole bunch of goalie videos. But, yeah I don’t have like a specific [role model], but recently Crystal Dunn. I look up to her even though she doesn't play my position.

Crystal Dunn. That’s amazing.

Yeah, I met her. We met her a couple of weeks ago at Nike HQ.

That’s amazing. Nike is really taking care of you guys.

I think the last question is have you ever had a coach, a woman coach, that wasn’t a woman of color and what was like the difference between that?

I’ve never had a coach that wasn’t a woman of color. Our soccer coaches are men and my cheer coach is a woman. She is black and my track coach is a man, he is black.

So what's the difference between male and female coaches for you?Do you feel like the woman coaches get you more or understand you a little bit?

Yes and no because a lot of the humor comes from like if you know what I'm saying. [thinking] Like what’s an example? Like, they (women) relate more to girl’s problems and you know problems can sometimes fight humor. So you can’t joke about the same things you know and also you can only get so comfortable with the opposite gender professionally, you know.

Yeah, you’re really good at that! That’s all the questions that I have.